Time Games
by pinetree13
Summary: River and the Doctor find themselves on a strange planet...and something is definitely wrong. The Doctor must uncover the secret before anyone else gets hurt. Will he be too late?
1. Chapter 1

**I hope you like this one. If you do, then why not check out my other story. Oh, and don't forget to review. **

**Disclaimer: I still don't own Doctor Who (lucky for you).**

**This takes place soon after River enters Stormcage, but a little later in the Doctor's line. **

**Time Games**

**Chapter 1**

River had been sitting in her cell for nearly two months now with no word from the Doctor. Of course, she couldn't blame him. He was probably off saving some planet from an alien invasion. Again. She wasn't quite sure if he would come to visit soon, anyway. After all, she'd only been in here for a few weeks.

However, no sooner had she thought this than she heard the familiar whooshing of a certain blue box. She turned to see the TARDIS materialize outside her cell. The Doctor happily jumped out saying, "Hello sweetie!"

River smiled and was about to give some sweet, sarcastic reply when she saw what the Doctor was wearing. She recognized the outfit as the one he wore to Amy and Rory's wedding. It was a black suit with a top hat. So as much as she was looking forward to the sarcastic comment, she had to say, "May I ask why exactly you're dressed as if you're going to a wedding?"

The Doctor smiled crookedly. "Because I am. Well, _we _are."

River tried to contain her excitement as she asked the question she probably already knew the answer to. "Who's wedding?"

"Ours."

River was now visibly radiating joy. "I thought we were already married."

"Oh, River Song! An aborted time line doesn't count," said the Doctor as he soniced her lock. He then opened the door and pulled her into his arms, kissing her softly. He soon pushed away, though, and said, "I want to do it right this time." He got down on one knee and held out what she thought was the most magnificent ring in the universe. "River Song, will you marry me?"

River, who was not expecting this, could barely speak without shouting. "Yes! Yes, of course!"

The Doctor got up, and had just slid the ring onto her finger when she pulled him back in for another kiss. It was more passionate this time, as they were both filled with excitement over the event that had just taken place. "Right, then," said the Doctor, pulling away. "Shall we go?"

"Right Now? What about all the invitations, the preparations?"

"Taken care of," he said with a confident smile. Suddenly he wondered if she had said this in hesitation. "That is, if you're ready."

River laughed at his insecurity. "Of course I'm ready. I've waited quite a long time."

"The Girl Who Waited," the Doctor said with a smirk. Then he took her hand and led her into the TARDIS. He pulled a lever and they were off.

Something then occurred to River:_ What am I going to wear?_ As if answering her thoughts, the Doctor handed her a dress that was so beautiful she would have chosen it for herself.

"Here, put this on. I'll be waiting for you outside." River hadn't even noticed they'd landed. Maybe the Doctor had finally decided to turn off the brakes. The Doctor walked out the door, leaving River alone in the console room. She quickly put on the dress, so as not to keep anyone waiting.

When she was ready, she opened the door to see Rory absolutely beaming at her. "Hello, dad," she said warmly.

"My little girl's getting married! And I wasn't going to cry," he sniffed. "Oh well. Hurry up, now. The Doctor's already waiting for you."

River smiled and took his arm as he led her down the aisle. She couldn't help but peek at who the Doctor had invited. She saw Amy smiling widely in the front. However, she recognized very few of the others. They must have been friends of the Doctor's. After all, it wasn't like she had many friends.

Then she looked up. She instantly forgot about everyone else in the room. She was focused only on the Doctor with his crooked smile and top hat. She couldn't help but let a giggle escape under her breath. _He's the only man on earth who would wear a bowtie and top hat to a wedding. _

Before she knew it she was standing next to him. Not surprisingly, she didn't know the man who was leading the ceremony, but she didn't care. All she cared about right now was the Doctor.

They quickly ran through their vows. River just wanted to skip to the "I do's". Eventually they did get there, though. "Do you, Melody Pond, take this man to be your husband?"

"I do," she whispered, since she couldn't speak.

"And do you, Doctor—," at this point he whispered his name in River's ear, "—take this woman to be your wife?"

"I do," he said proudly.

"Then you may kiss the bride." These were the words River had been waiting to hear all day, and she didn't need to be told twice. She took the Doctor's face in her hands and kissed him passionately. The Doctor kissed her right back, with his hands wrapped around her. They only pulled away after an irritated cough from Rory.

They were now at the reception. River had gotten through talking to every one of the Doctor's "interesting" friends, and now they were dancing. It was a slow dance, of course, and both of them were thoroughly enjoying it. Every once in a while the Doctor would bury his face in her hair and breathe in her sweet scent. River would then hide her face in his chest and they would simply sway like that to the music.

"So what have you got planned for the honeymoon?" River whispered.

"I guess you'll just have to wait and see," the Doctor said with a mysterious smile.

After a while the guests began to leave, and soon it was only the Doctor, River, Amy, and Rory. The Doctor and River were still on the dance floor, practically oblivious to everything else. However, they were snapped back to reality when Amy and Rory came up to them, as Rory cleared his throat. "I think we should probably be off now."

The Doctor shook hands with Rory, and then the rest of them exchanged hugs. "Goodbye mother, father." River said rather happily.

"Just remember, Doctor," said Rory, "I do still have my sword."

They smiled, waved goodbyes, and then the Doctor and River were alone. He then scooped River off her feet and into his arms like in all good wedding clichés. River laughed, and he took her back to the TARDIS in preparation for their honeymoon.

**Yes, I know. This chapter was very fluffy. There's quite a bit more to come, though, so keep waiting! The adventure part is on the way. Again, please leave a review. They make my day. Also, if you like this one, check out my other fic, Singing Towers. **


	2. Chapter 2

**The second chapter is here! I hope you like this one. It will probably still be fluffy, but not as much as the first. Review!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who, though I sometimes wish I did.**

**Chapter 2**

It was morning. River woke up to feel the warmth of the Doctor's skin against her cheek, his arms wrapped tightly around her. He was still asleep. It looked like he was sleeping peacefully for once. It was rare that the Doctor got this much sleep, especially without having nightmares. Though she was now wide awake, River settled back in to the Doctor's chest, just lying there peacefully.

It was not long before the Doctor woke up, though. She could tell when he did because he inhaled deeply with his face buried in her hair and began sliding his hands up and down her back as if to comfort her. It worked.

River shifted her head so that she was looking at the Doctor. He smiled. "Hello."

"Hello," she replied softly. She would have been content to stay like this all day, but she knew that was not how the Doctor worked. He slid out of bed quickly and began to get dressed. She sighed and did the same.

After breakfast, they both stood in the console room. "So are you going to tell me where we're going now?" asked River.

The Doctor pulled a few levers before twirling to face her with a smile. "Why would I tell you when I can show you?"

He began rambling, and although River found this adorable, she never really listened. Therefore, by the time he was done, she knew almost nothing about the planet they had landed on. When he opened the TARDIS doors, she saw what looked like a castle, touching the clouds. However, it was obviously not human, and it was made from a silvery metal rather than stone. The Doctor took her hand and led her inside.

They were stopped right inside the door by a guard wielding a gun. The Doctor simply pulled out his psychic paper. The guard took one look, saluted them, and mumbled something along the lines of, "I'm terribly sorry, your majesty." The Doctor gave River a wink, and they continued through.

The guard had looked human, although nothing inside this building looked human at all. For one thing, the flowers sitting in a vase on a table they passed were of no species found on earth. The Doctor had probably explained all this in the TARDIS when River was zoned out, so she didn't say anything.

Eventually they came to a huge gold-plated door that ran from floor to the ceiling which was now about two stories tall. Of course the Doctor would waste no time knocking, so he soniced the lock and opened the door only a crack. He peered through and then whispered to River, "Ooh, I think I've found the boss around here!" He then proceeded—with objections from River—to throw open the door and make an entrance.

"Hello everyone! You can call me the Doctor, and this is River!" He declared brightly to the people in the room. There were three of them, and each wore an identical expression of confusion mixed with shock. Two of the men wore suits, although one had a gold tie. The third carried a gun, and was most likely a guard.

"Who exactly do you think you are, and how did you get in here?" the man in a normal suit asked incredulously.

"I've told you. I'm the Doctor, and this is River. We're on our honeymoon!" River rolled her eyes at the last part, as he probably did not need to add this part. Since the man did not look any less suspicious, the Doctor showed them his psychic paper.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I had no idea!"

"That's quite alright," the Doctor said with a smile. He then turned to the man in the gold tie. "So I'm guessing you're in charge around here?"

"Yes. I guess you could say I rule this planet."

"How nice. Well, I had heard a lot about the hospitality of your people here, and was wondering if you could offer us… accommodations?"

The man looked unsure for a moment, but then must have decided to trust the Doctor. He nodded to his advisor, who said, "Right this way." He led them down a few different corridors, up an elevator, and eventually ended at a door at the end of a hallway. "You may stay here. Also, meet in the dining room for dinner. His highness is dying to learn about you." The man then turned and left.

The Doctor exchanged a glance with River and said, "See, people give you exactly what you want as long as you look like you know what you're doing." She smiled and rolled her eyes. He soniced the lock and led her inside.

The room was absolutely amazing. The back wall was entirely made of glass, and offered a splendid view of the surrounding hills beyond the town. Through one door was the bedroom, which had a bed that could only be described as larger-than-king-sized. There was not much for entertainment, but this was just a guest room, anyways. It had probably been meant for friends of the king, sultans and lords.

After checking the time, they discovered that dinner was in about ten minutes. They freshened up and headed down, hand-in-hand.

They entered the dining room to find it only set for four people: the Doctor, River, the king, and the advisor. The last two were already there, so as soon as the Doctor and River sat down, servants brought out many of the most delicious dishes they had ever eaten.

"So, Doctor," began the king, "let's get right to it. I know you used psychic paper." The Doctor turned pale and began to look uncomfortable when the king laughed and said, "No, no it's quite alright. Like you said, we are known for our hospitality. Feel free to stay as long as you want. However, I must first ask you: Are either of you human?"

The Doctor looked surprised at this question. "No, why?"

"Oh, nothing, nothing. Forget I said anything." The Doctor was now getting suspicious, but since this man was the king of the planet, he decided he probably shouldn't say anything to upset him.

"We should probably be heading back up to our room now," he said, "but dinner was lovely." The Doctor and River got up to leave.

"What was all that about?" she asked once they were out of the room.

"I'm not sure, but I'm going to find out. Well, I'll find out later at least. Right now, we might as well just enjoy our honeymoon.

Now they were back in their room. The Doctor kissed River slowly on the lips, and River threw her arms around his neck and began kissing him more passionately. He did not object, only wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into him as he led her to the larger-than-king-sized bed.

**I hope you like this one. It's got a little bit of a cliff hanger, so I guess you'll just have to wait for chapter 3. Until then, why not leave a review?**


	3. Chapter 3

**Here it is! Chapter 3. Thanks to everyone who's reading this. Again, I always appreciate reviews. Plus, I'm open to suggestions. I've got a pretty good idea of where this is going, but if there's something you'd like to see, feel free to put it in the reviews.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who, and never will.**

The Doctor and River sat across from each other in the corner of their guest room, where there stood a little table. "So what do you want to do today, dear?" asked the Doctor.

"I was thinking we should check out the town, talk to people, and maybe end up fighting some monsters along the way. Who knows?"

The Doctor smiled. "I was thinking the exact same thing!"

"Of course you were! I'm sure you just want to investigate the whole 'no humans' thing," River said with a sly smile.

"That may have something to do with it," the Doctor grinned back.

They walked down the stairs, past the guard, and out the door. The city was absolutely beautiful. It wasn't like the usual pictures of big cities with back alleys and ghettos. This city was completely uniform all the way through. For this reason, it felt kind of odd, but it was nothing they hadn't seen before. After all, at least the people here looked human, even if they really weren't.

As they walked hand-in-hand down the street, the Doctor began to notice that something wasn't quite right. For one thing, the town was huge, yet everyone seemed to be good friends with everyone else. Also, as they walked past groups of people, some would stare at them as if they carried weapons. Others would move over for them as if they had a disease. Some would even go inside and shut their windows. Something was definitely not right here.

The Doctor leaned over to whisper in River's ear. "River, have you noticed—,"

"The people cowering in fear from us? Yeah, I've noticed," she replied as she tried not to look worried.

"What do you suppose is bothering them?"

"Well, I guess we won't know until we ask."

The Doctor gave her a 'yeah right' look and said, "River, we can't just walk up to someone and say, 'Oh, excuse me. I was just wondering why you were afraid of us.'"

"And why not?" she asked.

The Doctor's expression now became slightly confused. "Well…, you…just, can't?" He didn't sound so sure, and that was enough for River. She walked right over to the nearest person, who was a woman planting some strange looking flowers in her garden.

"Excuse me. I was just wondering why everyone here is afraid of us." The Doctor rolled his eyes.

The woman, who had had her back to them, now turned around, and when she saw who it was, she jumped slightly and grew pale. "Um, I… probably shouldn't tell you."

Even though the Doctor was urging River to back down, she kept going. "Don't worry we're not human. Just tell us and we'll be on our way."

"Oh, you're not?" At this the woman seemed to relax a little. "Well then I guess there's no harm in telling you." The woman paused in slight hesitation and then began her story: "A long time ago there used to be a huge colony of humans living here. We lived right alongside them in peace. Then _they _came, the new rulers. At first we thought this was a good thing, since they promised peace. After a few weeks, though, people started to disappear. All of them were humans. Only a year later, the last human disappeared. Some who were good friends with the humans began to protest. Soon, the protesters began to disappear too. However, once they were all gone, the disappearances stopped. The king told us it was the humans' fault. We were required to learn the face of every person living here so that we may know if any more humans show up to cause the death of our people."

For a while, neither the Doctor nor River could speak. They just stood there in shock. Finally, though, the Doctor began to work things out in his head. "Okay, so the people are scared of us because since they don't know who we are and we look human, they assume we _are _human?"

The woman nodded. River thanked her, and they left. "I thought you said these people were known for their hospitality?" said River. 

"Well, in fairness, everyone I heard that from was alien." River rolled her eyes. However, she did feel better knowing that they didn't have anything to fear.

After a lot of walking, they finally ended up in the hills outside of town. They sat down on top of the tallest one and sat overlooking the shining city. It was nearly sunset, and the buildings practically glowed from the sunlight reflecting off them.

"It's beautiful," said River softly.

"Yeah, it is," agreed the Doctor who wasn't really talking about the city at all. His eyes were focused on River. He leaned over and kissed her neck softly. River wrapped her arms around him brought his chin up so that his lips met hers. They continued kissing, and then the Doctor leaned back in the grass, pulling River on top of him. River only giggled. For a while they just laid like that, motionless as they took in the warmth of the setting sun and each other.

Soon, however, it grew dark. River had fallen asleep, and the Doctor woke her to tell her that they should probably be heading back to the castle. She mumbled in agreement, and they made their way down the hill, through the city, and back through the castle doors. Before they knew it, they were back in their room.

River was now wide awake all of a sudden. "So where were we?" she smiled slyly. Clearly the adventures of the day had not dampened her honeymoon spirit any. The Doctor did not object. However, ever since they heard the story of the humans, the he had the strangest feeling in the back of his mind that they were not safe.

**I love writing cliffhangers. I hate reading them, though. Especially if the story won't be updated soon. But don't worry, because it will be. So if you have any suggestions, please leave a review.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks to everyone who's been reading this fic. A special thanks to Phoebe Cloud for being my only reviewer so far. If you like this story, please leave a review to let me know if I should keep writing this one. Also, any comments or suggestions are greatly appreciated, so review!**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own anything.**

The Doctor had a nightmare that night. Not the usual one where he was too late to save River in the Library. That one came all too often. Instead, the Doctor dreamt he was standing at the end of a long hallway. In the middle of the hallway stood a figure he couldn't quite make out yet. Suddenly, he heard loud, racing footsteps coming from behind him. He turned around to see a dark figure running toward him. From the look on its face, the Doctor decided he should probably run, or else die.

As he ran down the hall, he came closer and closer to the figure in the center. Now he was close enough to recognize her. "River! What are you doing? Run!" he shouted to her as he came ever nearer. However, no matter what he said she would not move. She simply looked at him as if she were confused and completely oblivious to the oncoming danger. The Doctor grabbed her arm and tried to pull her along with him. It worked for a little while, but she soon planted her feet and refused to move. The dark figure was advancing.

"River, please!" he pleaded desperately, but to no avail. The Doctor moved to his last resort. He scooped her up in his arms and ran with her. This slowed him down considerably, and the figure behind him was drawing nearer and nearer.

All of a sudden, the Doctor tripped and sent both him and River sprawling on the ground. The figure had reached them. The Doctor was prepared to put up a fight. He wouldn't let it hurt River. The figure reached out an arm, and the Doctor stepped in front of River. The figure picked him up easily and threw him against the wall hard enough to knock him out. The last thing he saw was the figure reaching its arm out to River. With a weak voice, he whispered, "River, no." Then he woke up.

He was in a cold sweat, and had a bad feeling in the back of his mind. _It was just a dream, _he reassured himself. He reached out for River, to feel the comfort of her warmth. She was not there. Now he sat bolt upright. "River?" he called. No reply. He was getting worried now, but would not let himself jump to hasty conclusions. After getting dressed he searched their whole room for her. She wasn't in the downstairs dining hall either. She had vanished.

Now he was frantic. He was way past the point of not jumping to conclusions, and he feared the worst. He began searching for signs of a struggle, something that might tell him that River was taken. Then he stopped in his tracks. He remembered what the woman in the village had told them, about the missing humans. But that couldn't have been what had happened. River was a Time Lord—

He suddenly realized something. His skin became pale white, and his hearts were beating faster than they had in a long, long time. River was half Time Lord, but she was also half human. The Doctor stood there in complete shock for a moment, but only a moment. He then started working things out in his mind. _The humans that were taken were never seen again. But they only started to disappear after the arrival of the new leaders. _The Doctor remembered the man in the gold tie who had greeted them upon their arrival. He ruled this planet, and he was the reason River was gone.

As the Doctor thought these things through, he noticed something that he hadn't before. It was something so small that whoever took River probably didn't think that he would notice, so they didn't try to cover it up. River always kept her holster on the nightstand near her bed. However, she kept the strap around the gun buttoned so that it would not fall out. This was how it had been the night before. Now, though, the strap lay opened, and the gun was pulled slightly out as though River had tried to take it out but stopped for some reason.

Using this small detail, the Doctor could deduct that River had been taken by force. She had tried to take out her gun when she was knocked out by her captors. He probably would have been woken had he not been in the middle of his nightmare.

The Doctor now only had to decide what he needed to do. He thought about the man who ruled this planet, and the more he did, the angrier he became. It was his fault. Nothing like that could happen here without his approval. He had sat back and watched thousands of humans die and had thought that this would be no different. But that wouldn't happen. Not this time. If it did, they could rest assured that this planet would no longer exist.

The Doctor walked downstairs briskly and with firm determination. Cold fury was written on his face, and he would not let anyone get in his way. He walked straight past the guards, not even stopping to show them the psychic paper. He slammed open the doors to the throne room and didn't stop till he reached the ruler. Grabbing him by the collar and pushing him against the wall, the Doctor spoke in an eerily calm tone. "I'll ask you nicely one time and one time only: Where is my wife?"

The man acted confused and began stammering out something that sounded like, "I. . . I don't know."

The Doctor began again, not letting go of the man's shirt, "Don't play games with me. I have destroyed many planets before, and it would be just too easy to do it again. So you can bring me to my wife,—who I hope for your sake is unharmed—or this whole world goes up in flames. Your choice."

All of a sudden, the man seemed to remember who the Doctor was talking about. "Um. . . yes. Right this way." Not looking very pleased, he led the Doctor out of the room and down a few passages. The Doctor simply followed behind, looking far calmer than he actually was. He had meant every word of what he'd said. There would be a large price to pay if River was not there waiting for him.

**There you go, another cliffhanger. You're welcome. Once again, please review. The fifth chapter will be here soon.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks again to those who are actually reading this. Also, if you like this, check out my other fic. Yes, it's my only other story, but take a look anyway.**

**Disclaimer: As much as I wish I owned Doctor Who, I don't.**

River Song awoke to find herself chained to a wall with something tied tightly around her mouth to prevent her from speaking or calling for help. She sighed in defeat, as this situation was all too familiar. She was instantly reminded of her stolen childhood, although she couldn't actually remember much. She tried to stand up, only to find that both her hands and feet had chains on them.

Finally, she looked around, trying to find anything that might tip her off as to where she was. There was nothing but complete darkness pressing in around her. She could see nothing, but at least she was alive.

She hadn't seen her captors, so she was completely oblivious to her current situation. The last thing she remembered before waking up her was being startled and reaching for her gun as she lay next to the Doctor. The Doctor! He would come for her, he always came for her. She began banging her chains against the floor to make his search easier. Then came the sound of the door opening. For a moment she thought her plan had worked, until a figure came in to knock her out again.

The Doctor walked silently behind the man with the gold tie. He was the ruler of this planet. Well, he was the ruler of this planet _now._ He wouldn't be for long if River was harmed in any way. In that case, there wouldn't even be a planet anymore.

They finally stopped in front of a door with an armed guard. The ruler walked straight in, and the Doctor tried to follow before he was stopped by the guard. The Doctor looked at the man who stood in his way and simply said, unsmiling, "That might not be the best idea right now."

The guard looked at the ruler, who nodded, and the Doctor was let through. They now found themselves in a wide hallway with a single door at the end. A man dressed in black walked out holding a syringe. The Doctor's cool fury vanished. It was not red-hot and easily visible.

He knocked the syringe out of the man's hands, and threw him against the wall. He held the man there by his neck as he yelled, "What have you done? I swear, if you have harmed her in any way, if she has one bruise, one cut, you and your entire planet will pay the price! Do you understand?"

The man could obviously not speak, as his neck was held firmly against the wall. At last, the Doctor checked himself and realized that he had lost it. He'd rarely ever been that angry before. However, though his fury was back to hiding on the inside, both men with him could see that it was not gone. Afraid to say anything, the man in black opened the door. Inside was River, chained and sleeping.

She did not appear harmed, but the Doctor obviously checked for himself. When he was totally convinced that she was only sedated, he gently stroked back her tangled hair and kissed her forehead. Then he turned on the men.

"Would either of you care to explain why she is sedated and chained to a wall?" he said softly.

The man in black, who was still a little shaken from his last encounter with the Doctor, spoke up hesitantly, "I promise you she is not harmed at all—."

"That's not what I asked," the Doctor cut him off. "What I want to know is why she has been sedated and chained up in a cell," he said, raising his voice slightly. Neither of the men answered. "You may want to answer before I get mad again."

This seemed to be enough to make the ruler answer. "She was being kept in holding."

"Kept in holding? For what?"

He wouldn't have answered if he hadn't been faced with a firm glare from the Doctor. "Humans can be. . . useful to us." He waited for the Doctor's reply, but when it didn't come, he moved on. "Their DNA, when combined with ours, can trick the body into a constant state of youth, but only for the very wealthy."

He stopped when the Doctor laughed sarcastically. "So basically, you're using human DNA to make rich people immortal? Ha! I am over nine hundred years old, and trust me, it's not as much fun as it sounds. Nothing lasts forever. Plus, she's not even human! She's half Time Lord. Her DNA wouldn't be compatible. So if you'll excuse me, I'll just take my wife and leave."

The man in black blocked the Doctor's entrance into River's room. "We need to know that you'll be keeping this confidential. We don't need any rumors floating around."

The Doctor took deep breaths as he tried to stay composed. "I don't think it is in your interest right now to tell me what I ought to be doing." Looking unsure, the man stepped aside to let the Doctor in. He knelt down next to River and brushed his hand across her cheek. As he soniced the locks on the chains he asked, "How long will the sedative last?"

"About two hours," answered the man in black.

The Doctor sighed and said darkly, "I don't think we'll be staying here any longer." With that, he scooped River up into his arms and carried her up all the long hallways and staircases he had taken to get here. He had memorized every twist and turn in case he needed to make a break for it.

As he made his way through the village to get to the TARDIS, many people stared at him, but no one said anything. At least they didn't shrink away in fear. He didn't care how many people stared or what he thought. All he cared about was getting River far, far away from here safely.

He looked down at her face framed in golden curls. When he did this, he couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. It was his fault she had been in this situation. This was supposed to have been their honeymoon. He leaned his head down to kiss her cheek, silently wishing for her to wake up soon. If she didn't he'd be having another chat with the so-called ruler.

When they finally reached the TARDIS, he snapped his fingers, and the doors swung open. There was a whine of disapproval when Sexy saw what had happened to River, but the Doctor paid no mind. He went straight to their bedroom and laid her gently on the bed. He then climbed in to lay beside her and wait for her to awake.

**Reviews are always appreciated, so feel free.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6! As always, I encourage you to review. That is all.**

River awoke with a painful throbbing in her head. The last thing she remembered, she was in a dark room with a shadowy figure walking toward her. After that it all got fuzzy. At first, she didn't open her eyes. She didn't want to know what had happened to her after she had been sedated. At least she wasn't dead, though.

But then she realized that she no longer felt the tight chains around her hands and feet or felt the harsh concrete floor beneath her. She seemed to be in a nice, warm bed. _Well I must be dead, _was her first thought. But if she was dead, then why would she still feel the pain in her head. Reluctantly, she decided that she needed to open her eyes.

Okay, so she wasn't dead, and she _was_ in fact lying in bed. The next thing she saw made her hearts almost skip a beat. She looked up to see the Doctor staring down at her intently. "Doctor, what happened?" she managed to get out.

"Shh. Just sleep. You need the rest."

However, River wasn't tired anymore. She was confused, and she was eager to know how exactly she had escaped. "I'm not tired," she answered, pushing herself into a sitting position.

The Doctor sighed. "I suppose you're wondering how exactly you ended up here."

River nodded.

"It's quite simple, really," the Doctor said. "I just walked straight in and told them we were leaving. Then they let us leave."

River knew the Doctor well enough to be able to tell when he was leaving something out. "So that's exactly what happened?" she asked suspiciously.

"Yes. Well, of course there was some stuff in the middle, but that's not very important."

"What did you do, shoot a guard?" she said with a smirk.

"No, just threats. I didn't actually have to _hurt_ anybody," he said as much as he hated to admit it.

She just laughed. "No, of course not."

The next few minutes were spent by the Doctor recounting everything that happened while River had been gone. Of course, he did leave a few parts out, but after all, she wouldn't know the difference.

After a while, they both made their way back to the console room. "So where now?" asked the Doctor with a twirl.

"You tell me," answered River. "But dear, how about we skip the danger this time." The Doctor glared at her, but nonetheless began putting in coordinates.

However, they didn't reach their destination. The Doctor had just gone over to the other side of the console to press a few buttons, and upon his return he found River collapsed on the floor. He immediately rushed to her side, shouting her name and shaking her by the shoulders. No reply.

Pulling his sonic out of his pocket, he began scanning her, trying to find out what had happened. It must have given him an answer he wasn't willing to believe, because he then had the TARDIS run a full-body scan.

He rushed over to the monitor, which told him exactly what his screwdriver had. However much he wanted to believe it was a glitch, he now had to face the truth. The scanner told him that River had poison in her blood stream. Normally, this wouldn't affect a Time Lord at all, but she was half-human after all. Even so, she would probably have been able to stand it if the poison wasn't so strong.

But she wasn't dead yet. Her hearts were still beating. Which was exceptionally good news, considering the monitor now told him that regeneration was disabled. He rolled his eyes. It wasn't like she had any regenerations left, anyway.

Now, he silently pleaded the TARDIS to give him anything that would at least keep River alive for a few more hours. Perhaps that was all he needed. She answered by producing a vile of yellow liquid. He took this gratefully and poured it into River's mouth.

Her breathing immediately became stronger, and he let out a long sigh of relief. However, this wasn't over yet. He only had a few hours, and he wasn't even sure if the medicine would last _that_ long. What he needed to do was come up with a plan.

The Doctor knew that she had probably gotten this poison from the sedative they had injected into her right before he got there. They had probably used it many times before to kill the humans. It only sedated her because her Time Lord side had been trying to fend it off for as long as it could. The fight was almost over now, though.

He now knew what he would do. If they had made this poison, they must have made an antidote. And he would find it. After all, if he didn't, there would be a large price to pay.

With swift determination, he put in the coordinates of the planet they had just left. He knew without a doubt that it would be easy to get the antidote, since these men were already terrified of him. He made sure to land only a few minutes after they had left. That way, they would still be shaken up from their previous experience with him.

He now thought of what River had said earlier. _What did you do, shoot a guard?_ When she had said this, he had found the idea completely ludicrous. Now, though, it may actually be on his agenda, especially if they gave him any trouble. It was the second time in the last couple of days that he had had to save his wife on their _honeymoon._ They chose the wrong person to mess with.

**This one was a little shorter than the others. I just thought this would be a good place to stop for now. Is there anything you would like to see happen in the next chapter? If so, leave it in the reviews.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Okay, so I'm not really sure if I should end this story soon and move on to another one or keep writing for a while. So if you have a preference, please let me know via review or PM. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Still don't own anything. **

After carefully placing River in the infirmary, the Doctor stormed out of the TARDIS and into the fortress they had just left hours before. To the people living here though, they had been gone five minutes.

The guard—who recognized him and didn't want to deal with any more issues—let the Doctor pass without hesitation. He didn't even slow, only kept walking with the same determination he had when he went to find River in the first place.

This time he knew exactly where to go. Earlier he had memorized the hallways that would take him to the labs and cells, just in case. Now, though, he met no resistance. No one dared to stop him until he was outside the hallway that led to what used to be River's cell. He knew that was all that the hallway held, so he now walked to the door next to it.

The Doctor banged on the door until the man in black answered. The name on the door read "Johnson". This man looked at the Doctor, and his face seemed to show subtle signs of fear. "You again? What do you want now? I already returned your wife safely."

"Now that's where you're wrong," answered the Doctor, not even trying to hide his anger as he had earlier. "Would you care to explain to me why she has poison in her blood?"

The man—whose name was apparently Johnson—grew very pale. "I…I thought you said she wasn't human."

The Doctor's voice was raised. "She is _half-human, half-Time Lord!_ So you had better hope you have some sort of antidote or else I believe we've discussed the consequences before."

Johnson gulped and nodded almost imperceptibly. He knew there was an antidote, but only a very small quantity remained. Nearly every time a human had been brought in for the "procedure", someone had screwed up and required it. Here in Johnson's office was the only vile of the liquid left on the planet. He had a choice: to let the Doctor have it or keep it for next time he messed up.

As he weighed the odds, Johnson found that if he didn't give the vile to the Doctor, the planet would mysteriously explode anyway. He brought it out and handed it to the Doctor with a warning: "This is all that remains of the antidote on our planet. For a human, it would not be nearly enough. I should hope it works for her."

"I should hope so too," the Doctor called back, as he was already on his way out.

He didn't remember the walk back to the TARDIS. He was too focused on Johnson's words. _What if it's not enough, _he thought. _What if I can't save her this time? _All of these thoughts were vying for his attention when all he really wanted to see was River healthy and alive.

Right after he was inside the doors, the Doctor began sprinting down the halls to the infirmary. Luckily, Sexy had put it close to the console room for easy access.

He burst through the doors and stopped by River's bedside. She was still alive, so that was a good sign. Plus, the medicine from earlier was still working. Opening her mouth gently, the Doctor poured the antidote in and held his breath.

At that moment, the scanner showed that the medicine had lost its effect. If the antidote didn't work, River would be dead in a matter of seconds. The Doctor grabbed her hand and silently pleaded her to wake up, tears filling his eyes.

Then, finally, the scanner showed that River's blood was clear. She was saved. The Doctor let out a sigh of relief as she opened her eyes. However, as soon as she did this, her stare became blank, and her eyes snapped shut once more. _What's going on? This must be a side effect of the antidote. _His mind was racing, but suddenly stopped when he heard an all-too-familiar noise.

It was a long, drawn-out _beep_, the kind you hear at hospitals when somebody… dies.

For a moment, the Doctor was completely and utterly stunned. He couldn't move or speak or think. He only stared down at River, watching her face as he convinced himself that any minute now she would open her eyes. She didn't.

Now that the Doctor gained control of his mind, a million thoughts instantly rushed in. He analyzed every different scenario that would possibly be able to save River Song at this point. Briefly, he wondered what would happen if he couldn't. Not only would he have failed to save the one person he loved more than any of his companions, but he could possibly alter a fixed point.

He had seen River die at the Library. If she died now, that could never happen.

With a shake of his head he managed to clear away the negative thoughts. He _would _save her. All he had to do was figure out how. That was the hard part.

Then it hit him. _Of course! _It would have to be like Berlin. He would save her the same way that she had saved him. Knowing what this implied and how great the risks were, the Doctor reacted before he had an opportunity to change his mind.

He quickly looked around for something he could use. On a counter on the other side of the room he saw a scalpel. Rushing over to grab it, he was too determined to cringe. He took the sharp metal tool and plunged it into one of his hearts.

Falling on his knees, he feared he would not be able to reach River at the right time, so he used what was left of his energy to crawl back over to her. Now his damaged heart gave out, but he could already feel it beginning to repair through regeneration.

The Doctor was now next to her bed. He mustered up enough strength to pull himself into a kneeling position by her side. It was now or never; he could feel it. He grabbed her face gently and kissed her.

It was a strange thing to feel the energy leaving his body and being transferred into hers, but he would do it every day for the rest of his life if it meant never having to lose River.

Then came the most amazing sound in the world: the steady _beep beep _of the monitor. He cried humany tears of joy as she reached up to grab his face as well and kissed him back passionately.

Only a moment later, though, they both pulled back at the same time. It was coordinated so that they now had the same number of regenerations. Neither one would have to outlive the other.

The last thing the Doctor heard before passing out from exhaustion was, "Hello, sweetie."


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: Still don't own Doctor Who.**

The Doctor was aware of a painful throbbing in his head even before he woke up. As he opened his eyes he discovered that he was not in the sick bay as he had expected. He was lying in his own bed with River staring worriedly down at him. Although, as his eyes fluttered open and he let out a groan, the worry turned to relief.

"Hello, sweetie," he said mockingly.

River just let out a little giggle and gave him a suspicious look. "So if you regenerated then why don't you look any different? Same floppy hair, same bowtie."

The Doctor smiled. "Is that all you have to say to me when I just saved your life?"

River didn't take the bait, only looked at him expectantly.

"Okay," he sighed, "you caught me. During regeneration, I focused on this form again."

She laughed brightly. "And why exactly was that."

"Because I know you like me this way," mumbled the Doctor, blushing.

River only rolled her eyes and said, "You are you. It doesn't matter what you look like."

"It's not just that." He looked worried now. "The last time I regenerated everything changed, including my… preferences. And emotions. I didn't want to change anything. I promised. Not one thing."

"You impossible man," she replied, laughing.

"A 'thank you' would be nice," he said sarcastically.

"Maybe later." At this, the Doctor rolled his eyes. He would never get River to do anything she didn't want to do. In a way, though, he kind of liked this.

"So are you feeling better?" she asked.

"Yes, I think so. All I needed was a little rest."

"Good. So I can do this." She punched him in the arm. "That was for risking your life, whether you saved me or not."

"I didn't just save you," he reminded her, "I gave you half of my regenerations. Now we're even."

Instead of brightening up like the Doctor had expected, River's face fell. "That just means more time in prison, sweetie. More time without you, waiting."

The Doctor lowered his voice. "River, eventually the universe will find out that I'm not actually dead, and when they do, I will be at Stormcage in a matter of seconds, hand outstretched for you to take."

"You know that this can't last forever, all this running around. It will have to end sometime, and when it does, I don't know if I'll be able to bear it."

The Doctor was quiet for a while before answering. "River, my River, it's not about the destination, but the journey. We have plenty of time. In fact, we're in a _time machine_. Just trust me."

River nodded, and they were both silent for a few moments. Then finally River broke the silence with her usual sarcastic cheeriness. "So what now?"

"I can think of a few things," said the Doctor with an impish grin.

River, catching on, just laughed. "Aren't I the one who usually suggests that? Besides, you're not well enough yet."

"Oh, I'm perfectly fine. In fact, I feel great," he said, sitting up.

"Prove it."

The Doctor smiled. _Challenge accepted._ He stretched out his arm to grasp the back of her head and draw her closer. In doing so, he found that he actually did feel completely normal. At this, he brought his lips to hers and kissed her more passionately than usual, to show her this.

River broke away for only a second to say, "Okay, I believe you." Then she was kissing him again.

The Doctor pulled her onto the bed so that she lay on top of him. He began to slowly trail caresses down her neck and felt her warm breath in his hair. Then she looked up at him, cutting him short. "We've both just had near-death experiences, and this is how you respond? Not that I'm complaining."

"I don't see what happened as a near-death experience. From my point of view, you nearly died, while I was just…knocked out. The way I see it, the tragedy wasn't almost dying, but having to think for a few long minutes that you were gone…and it was all my fault." His voice was broken. It was clear that this was not something he had wanted to talk about, so she let it go.

It didn't matter that time was running out. Right now, River didn't care about all those lonely nights spent in Stormcage as she waited for her knight in shining armor. She wasn't thinking about that. For now, all she could do was focus on the journey, because she knew that if she didn't, the fear of the future would tear her apart.

Now here she was, slipping off the Doctor's jacket and suspenders, and tears began to trail down her face. However he didn't mind, as he was crying as well. But all that mattered was here. All that mattered was now. For all they cared, the world outside could be falling around them. If it was, neither of them would notice.

They were content to just pretend that life would just stay frozen like this, a frame from when they were so happy, but yet so sad. In his arms, River melted. At this moment, she forgave him for all those nights she was left in her cell to wonder if she'd ever see this version of him.

She trusted him completely, and vice versa. But there was one word that kept coming up, running itself around her mind, and she could not let it go: _Forever._

**I think I'm gonna set this story aside and start doing some one-shots for a while. Anyways, I do take suggestions.**


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